1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a pectic enzyme treated pectin (PET-pectin) and a method of producing the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a PET-pectin with biological functions, including stability of emulsification, anti-oxidation and inhibition of cancer cell growth, a method of producing the same and application thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
After the storms of illegal addition of plasticizers in foods, the safety of food additives are concerned more. According to Article 3 of Act of Governing Food Sanitation in Taiwan, the term “food additives” shall mean materials that are added to or brought into contact with foods in the course of manufacturing, processing, preparation, packaging, transportation and storage of foods for the purpose of coloring, seasoning, preserving, bleaching, emulsifying, flavoring, stabilizing quality, enhancing fermentation, increasing viscosity, enriching nutritional value, preventing oxidation or otherwise. Currently, the allowed food additives are generally divided into two categories: natural and chemically synthetic. Moreover, the food additive is not normally consumed as a food by itself.
Pectin is one of the natural food additives widely used in food additives. Pectin is one of polysaccharides commonly found in the middle lamella of the cell walls in higher plants for bounding cells together, and it is second only to cellulose in annual production. Pectin is a polymer consisting mainly of esterified D-galacturonic acid resides in an alpha (α)-1→4 glycoside linkage. Furthermore, pectin is a legal and natural food additive for the purpose of increasing viscosity and adjusting the sweetness without legal restrictions related to its usage.
Typically, the conventional modified pectin is made through chemical reactions by adding chemical reagents such as acids or alkalis. However, the chemical reagents may remain in the modified pectin. Moreover, the drainage of the recovered chemical reagents may pollute the environment.
There is, however, a continuous need for naturally and non-chemically modified pectin and a method of producing the same, for overcoming all issues of chemically modified pectin and exploring more applications of the modified pectin.